5 min

When I talk about Bronze Age mentality of us Ghanaians, people roll their eyes. A student journalist with GhanaCelebrities.Com who visited the Red Row estate where ECG has disconnected their electricity of the estate including that of actress-Yvonne Nelson to find out more about the hovering issue has been picked up and I am told, he is being taken to the police station.

And his crime? None—perhaps, for just wanting to find out more or poking his journalistic noise into such an issue of public interest.

Surely, Ghana is far from North Korea but to be frank, we seem to operate not less than Kim Jong Un’s appalling regime.

As the founding Editor of GhanaCelebrtiies.Com, I condemn such act of intimidation and disrespect to the journalist.

We have a long way to go as a country—and for this, I will borrow the words attribute to Voltaire “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

We are still waiting to see the outcome of this…

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I have just spoken to the office in charge at the police station, Lake Side Police Station-Community 8 and according to the officer, though the journalist had asked to speak to residents at the estate (asked for permission) to find out what was deeply happening—there have been series of theft in the past at the estate and therefore those who brought him to the station do not trust that he is really a journalist.

The officer in charge also stated categorically that, the electricity at the estate has been disconnected—confirming our earlier publication, and as such the people think he is going to use the no electricity opportunity to rob them at night.

For now the journalist is at the police station and according to the police officer, they are going to investigate to see if he is not an armed robber or a thief—and if indeed he is a journalist.

After several calls in and out of Ghana, a celebrity fan of this blog-GhanaCelebrities.Com and a personal friend has managed to throw a call to those in high position who stand for what is RIGHT—and our journalist has been left out of police cells.

The police was keeping in there because, they claim, those who brought him said even though he claims to be a journalist, they’ve had thieves coming to the Red Row estate in the past and as such, they don’t really believe him.

The police then asked that the journalist to provide an ID, which he did not have on him. Speaking to them as the Editor and wanting to send them a confirmation of his work status on our letter head was not enough.After all, what email address was I going to send this letter to even?

So we asked that, they allow him to go and bring the ID—and they said, Hell No—because he might not come back.

We then asked for a junior police officer to join him so they can go to his house together—here again, the police said, the station has only two officers and one cannot leave with him. Moreover, they do not even have electricity at the station–pretty not a good situation for them.

We sent a second journalist to the police station and even though this journalist confirmed that the arrested journalist is no thief but a colleague, the police insisted on the ID. This second journalist showed the police his own ID, asked that they take his ID and even wallet so that he will go home with the arrested journalist to bring his ID—then when they bring the ID, he will pick his belongings.

Once again, the police said they won’t allow it and if anything, he has to spent the night in cells till tomorrow—when they MAY BE (take note of maybe) able to get a third officer to escort him to his house for the ID.

It became obvious that we have start making calls to those who can call shots and request for the right thing to be done as the law demands, his immediate release—and it happened.

It’s pretty shocking but as another celebrity friend told me; “Chris you are too westernized, Ghana is like a jungle and people do whatever they can without respecting the law.”

Special thanks to this particular celebrity friend who called those at the top who made sure that the right thing was done—and thanks to everyone who called me to show support, wanting to help in the release of your journalist.

In the course of the week, I will write a full article on this—perhaps, I will title it; ‘Ghana, Another Lawless Jungle You Should Avoid If You Can.’

Like they say, if you’ve never been arrested as a journalist, then you are not truly a journalist.

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Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri is the Founding Editor of GhanaCelebrities.Com, a Film Critic and a Human Rights Advocate; he holds 2 masters degrees in Law; International Human Rights Law (LL.M) and Legal Practice Course (LL.M) from University of Leicester and Nottingham Law School--and also a degree in Law (LL.B) from University of East London. He's a Professional Truth Sayer and he is the author of the popular eBook “Success is a Right, Not A Privilege.” He currently works at Adukus Solicitors in London--where he uses his legal brains to kick real ass, for the good of clients and humanity. Contact: [email protected]

I wish one was a victim to the numerous robbery that took place in the estate. Some at gun point and even children beaten mercilessly. If you a victim you will arrest even a rat roaming on the premise. I rest my case